Folding platform for operators of motor-trucks.



. l, No. 895,069..

. -f Y T. v. BUCKWALTBR.

FOLDING ninna PILICATION IlLED DEC.10,1907.

lPATENT@ AUG. 4, 190s.

M FOR. OPBRATGRS OF-MOTOR TRUCKS.

/ZZ v 'A167 WLM PATBNTED AUG, 4, 1908.

A NC. 895,069.

T. V. BUOKWALTER.

FOLDING PLATFORM FOR OPERATORS OF MOTOR TRUCKS.

APPLicArxoN funn DE 2 SHEETSQSHBET 2.

TRACYy V. BUCK\\`ALT1'IR,'OF ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA.

FOLDING PLATFORM FO.R OPERATORIS 0F MOTOR-TRUCKS.

Epe-:iir'mton o! Letten; Patent.

Patented Aug. 4, 1908.

Application tiled December 10, 1907. Serial No. 40,895.

To all whom. it mai concern:

Be it known t iat I, TRACY V. BUCK- wALTEn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Altoona, in the county of Blair and State of Pennsylvania have invented a Folding Platform for Operators of Motor-Trucks, o'f which the following is a speciieation.

This invention is a folding platform for operators of motor trucks such as are used in handling baggage, particularly in railway stations. For Vsuch use 1t is desirable to have means for steering at each end, and, therefore, to support the o erator by mechanism that will automatically fold out of the way when not in use while being readily drawn to and held in operative position.

The leading purpose of my invention is to provide, a simple, stron@ and readily operated apparatus he. ving the foregoing characteristics. To this end l have devised a platform which is connected with the truck so as to revolve about a vertical axis. A coiled spring acts to lift it out of a locking engagement in the operative position and turn it into a locking engagement in the inoperative position. ln returning it from the inoperative to the operative position, a downward and outward pressure unlocks and revolves it to the operative position, where it is locked by the weight of the operator.

In the. accom anvino drawinvs Figure 1 is.

e n h i b a. sectional plan view of a truck havingr my improvements connected therewith in the operative position; Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation takenon the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 2 is a developed view of the locking mechanism; Fig. 3 is an end elevation ot' the truck with the platform in the inoperative position; Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the truck with the platform in the operative position, and Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation showing the relation of the `truck platform, the operators platform and the connecting mechanism.

The invention, as illustratel in the drawings, is a plied to a truck comprising wheels 1, spindes 2 therefor, beams 3, knuckle 'oints Lfconnecting the spindles to thebeams,

aggage platform 5, and struts G supporting the baggage platform on the beams.

-The improvements, in the form illustrated, comprise the shaft 7 which extends through the baggage platform downwardly to approximately the level at which the opcrators platform is to be supported, the shaft having thereon an angular head 8, which engages a corresponding socket. 9 in the truck platform, and a cylindrical collar 10 fixed thereto, by a key 11, in engagement with the bottom of such platform. A cylindrical tube or hollow column 12 is sleeved on the shaft, which affords an axial supporting member therefor, and is carried by a coiled spring 13, having its lower end fixed to the shaft and its upper end .fixed t'o the tube. To provide an adjustable anchorage for the spring at the lower end of the shalt, the latter is provided with the squared or angular section 14 which holds a, collar 15 having a section 15 engaging the sect-ion 14 so that it can move longitudinally thereon and cannot revolve, the lower end of the spring bein fixed to the collar. A nut 16 on the shat serves to hold the collar thereon, the collar dropping so that it can be revolved to regulate thc torsion of the spring upon slacking the nut and being heldngainst revolution by engagement with the angular section of the shaft on drawing up the nut. T liis'ollnr has an exterior cylindrical surface to provide a journal bearing for the lower end of the tube, which latter has a journal bearing :it its upper end on the collar 10. An anchorage is provided for the upper end of the spring by a -collar 17, the latter being fixed within the tube by ke ys 18 and having a revolnlile. hearing on the sliaft.

A clutch ring or collar. 1), having the oppositely disposed projections 19 and 19h, is fixed to the truck by the struts 2O (which connect it to thebeam) and the tie rod 21 (which connects it to the truck platform). A clutch ring or collar 22, having the recesses 22 and the irojections 22", is fixed to the tube, above t. 1e. collar 19, by the keys 23. A clutch ring or collar 24, having the recesses 24h sind projections 24, is fixed to the tube, beneath the collar 19, by the keys 18. The o )orators platform 25 is fixed to the foot ol the tube and is connected b v the tie rod 26 to the collar 24 and by the tie 27 to the upper 100 mrt of the tube; and an arm or body rest 28 is xed to the u per end of the tube.'

lt will be understood, by the foregoing description, that ,tht spring 13 is so adjustedby its. connections witz: the anchors 15 and 17 1 05 that, when the plat form is locked in the operative position, such spring will act to elevate the tube 12, disengage the engaged clutch members 19 and 22 by withdrawing the recesses 22n from the projections 19", revolve 110 the. tube and platform to the inner position, t and engage the clutch,members 19 and 24 by causingr the recesses 24h to engage the pro- I jections 10"; the projections 2'2" and 24 engaging the projections 19 and 19" to liinitl' the inward movement. To bring the platform to the outer iosition, the tube isdepressed and tui-nerf, as by )res-sing downwardly and outwardly on tic arm 2S, by which the recesses 24 are withdrawn from registration with the projectit'iiis ttl" and the recesses 22 engaged with the projections 15)". The projections 19 and ltleiigiigc the projections 22h and 24 to limit. the outward movement and the locking engagement in the operative position is maintained by the I operators weight. on the platform. t Having described my invention, l claiuizf l. A truck having a supporting member, l an operators platform connected in revolnl l l ble relation to said supporting member and automatically operating mechanism for revolving said platform from the operativo to the inoperative position.

2. A truck having a vertical supporting l member, an operator's platform connected to i move horizontally in.l revoluble relation to i said supporting member, and means for i'e- I volviiig said platform from the operative to the inoperative position.

3. A ti'uck having a vertical supporting t member, an opcrator's platform connected f in i'cvoluble relation to said nieinlier, and means for lot-hing said platform in a definite position.

4. .1t truck having a verti 'al supporting member, an o ierator's platform' connected 5 iii revoluble relation to said member, and a coiled spring having one end fixed in relation to said member and the other end fixed in rclation to said platform whereby said platform is carried aiul revolved in relation to said member.

5. A ti'uch having an axial supportingi member, an operators platform connected in revoluble and longitudinally. movable re- 1 lation to said axial supporting niember,and :i spring through which said axial supporting member carries said platform.

G. A trut-h, a vertical supporting member l connected theretol :i platform connected in rcvolublc and longitudinally movable relation to said supporting member, and a coiled spring having one end fixed in relation to said inciiibei' and the other end fixed in relation to said platform. l

7^. A truck, a shaft fixed thereto, -aE platform connected iii revoluble and longitudinally movable relation to said shaft, and clutch mechanism foi' locking said platform in relation to said shaf'.

truc-k having a baggage platform, a. vertical supporting member connected thoreto, an opcrator`s platform connected in rovolulilc and longitudinally movable relation to said nzembcr. a `coiled vspring having',r one end fixed in relation to said member and the other end fixed iii relation io said platform.

tt. platform, a column. ed transverselv to said platform. .-i .supportingmember with relation to which said eolniiiii is movable revolubly and longitudinailyz and a coiled spring having one end fixed with relation to said column' and the other end fixed with relation to said member.

10. A platform. a hollow coliiiiiu fixed to said plat oriii, a shaft ou which said column is mounted so as to be movable revohibly and longitudinallv thereon, a coiled spi-ing A havingr one end fixed iu relation to sii-ii col umn and the other cud fiiv'cd in relation t0 'said shaft, a fixed clutch member within which said column is movable, and one or more clutch rings fixed on said column and adapted for engagement with the first named clutch member. y

1l. truck having a clutching member fixed thereto, and a revoluble platform having a clutchingmember fixed thereto and cofV acting with the clutching member fixed to said truck to hold said platform in a definite position, said clutching members havin means for limiting the revolution ofsai platform. t

'12. truck having)r fixed thereto a clutch ring 'with oppositely disposed projections thereon, a column revoluble within said ring, clutch rings fixed on said column on either side of the clutch ring first named, said clutch 'rings fixed to said column having'projeotions for engaging the projections on said clutch ringr first named to limit the movement of f said platform, and recesses to engage the rojcctions on said clutch ring first name to vl` loch said platform.

ln witness whereof I have hereunto set my i naine this 7th day of Dec., 1907, in the presence of thc subscribing witnesses. 'l`lt.\(`.)' Y. BL'L'KWALTER. 'it messes:

' J. l.. Mixiciv', y

l. ll. )forum-1r, 

